2025, Year in Review at KORE Retrofit

We began 2025 with momentum, marking the start of the year in our new, modern retrofit office in Foxfield, Kilnaleck, Co. Cavan. Designed and upgraded to reflect the standards we deliver for homeowners, the space represents more than a change of address, it signals a new phase of growth for KORE Retrofit. With expanded facilities, a growing multidisciplinary team, and an increasing project pipeline, the move supported our continued expansion while reinforcing our commitment to high-performance buildings, sustainability, and collaboration. From this new base, 2025 became a year defined by leadership, national recognition, and meaningful impact across Ireland and Europe.

Industry Presence, Events & Sponsorship

Throughout 2025, KORE Retrofit strengthened its presence across the built-environment sector, engaging directly with homeowners, policymakers, designers, and contractors. We exhibited at leading national and international events including the SEAI Energy Show, UK & IRL Passive House Conference, Self Build Show, Ideal Home Show, and the International Social Housing Festival, while also participating in local community events nationwide to discuss SEAI grants, One-Stop-Shop delivery, and the retrofit journey.

This outreach was complemented by a strong programme of webinars, including KORE-hosted sessions on EnerPHit retrofits, traditional homes, and vacant and derelict property upgrades, all now available on our YouTube channel. The year also saw the launch of our inaugural KORE Retrofit Golf Day at Moyvalley Golf Club, followed by customer race nights in Dundalk, Cork, and Sligo, reinforcing the relationships at the heart of our work.

KORE Retrofit was proud to support the wider industry through sponsorship in 2025, including Bronze Sponsorship of the UK & Ireland Passive House Conference, sponsorship of the CIAT AGM & Charity Anniversary, and the Accelerator Award at BE-ST Fest ’25 in Glasgow.

Awards, Recognition & Media

2025 was a standout year for recognition. KORE Retrofit secured a major national win at the Irish Construction Excellence (ICE) Awards, taking home Fit-Out or Refurbishment – Up to €10m for our Passive House Bungalow project in County Monaghan, led by Managing Director Dr. Barry McCarron. The project demonstrated how deep retrofit, when paired with Passive House principles, can deliver climate-resilient, ultra-efficient homes.

The same project earned finalist positions at the Building & Architect Awards in both Sustainability – Single Building or Development and Building of the Year – Net Zero / Passive House categories.

Leadership and culture were also recognised at an individual and organisational level. Caroline Ashe Brady, Commercial & Sustainability Director, won Excellence in Senior Leadership (Contractor / Sub-Contractor) at the Women in Construction Awards, while KORE Group was shortlisted for Best Health & Wellbeing Strategy at the HR Leadership & Management Awards, recognising our company-wide Wellness Week.

Our EU-funded Circular Reno project also gained national attention, becoming a finalist at both the SEAI Awards 2025 and the Irish Building & Design Awards. The project showcased a low-carbon, prefabricated retrofit approach using bio-based materials, achieving BER improvements from D2 to A1, reducing onsite waste by 20%, and minimising disruption for homeowners, ensuring it is a scalable model for the future of retrofit.

Throughout the year, KORE Retrofit’s expertise featured prominently across national TV, radio, podcasts, and online media. Dr. Barry McCarron appeared on the Passive House Podcast, iProperty Radio’s Breaking Ground, RTÉ’s Heat Your Home and BBC Radio Ulster, while Caroline Ashe Brady featured on That’s TV Belfast, highlighting the role of Passive House standards in climate resilience and the future of the built environment.

Circular Reno & AREC Reno

European collaboration continued to strengthen in 2025 through AREC Reno (Advancing Residential Energy Communities for Sustainable Renovation). Working alongside universities, housing bodies, SMEs, and municipalities, KORE Retrofit contributed Ireland-based technical expertise to help shape practical, scalable, community-led retrofit models.

In parallel, the Circular Reno pilot progressed significantly, from partner days in Germany and public engagement at the National Ploughing Championships to the successful retrofit of homes in Ireland using bio-based prefabricated panels. These projects delivered substantial BER improvements alongside upgrades to windows, doors, heat pumps, and ventilation, demonstrating a replicable low-carbon pathway for residential retrofit.

People, Wellbeing & Culture

Our people remain central to everything we do. In 2025, we welcomed 10 new team members across technical, delivery, and support roles, strengthening our capacity to deliver retrofit at scale. Alongside this growth, we made a significant commitment to education and upskilling, with team members undertaking advanced training and postgraduate programmes in universities across Ireland, including UCD, Trinity College Dublin, Dundalk Institute of Technology, and others.

Wellbeing and culture continued to be a priority. Our Summer Wellness Week expanded to include yoga, mindfulness, nutrition, arts and crafts, and for the first time a company sports day featuring football, relay races, and team challenges. We marked International Women’s Day and International Men’s Day, joined Women in Construction, and deepened our commitment to mental health by partnering with The Lighthouse Charity, hosting awareness sessions and training six team members as Mental Health First Aiders.

CIF Safety Week once again brought focus to safety and wellbeing across production, site, and office environments, supported by toolbox talks, demonstrations, and team engagement, raising hundreds of euros for Spina Bifida Ireland. We also marked World Green Building Week through tree planting, upcycling, sustainable commuting, and fundraising activities, followed by two Pink Mornings in support of Breast Cancer Ireland.

In recognition of leadership and academic contribution, Dr. Barry McCarron was appointed Visiting Professor at Ulster University, supporting education, research, and innovation in energy-efficient construction.

Sustainability & Leadership

Sustainability leadership remained a defining theme of 2025. KORE Retrofit participated in the UK & Ireland Passive House Conference in Belfast, the Passive House Camp in Spain, and contributed to expert panels on Climate Transition Planning at the ESG Summit.

Across the wider KORE Group, sustainability credentials reached a major milestone with Ireland’s first verified GHG inventories, confirming climate reporting aligned with internationally recognised standards. KORE also engaged directly with policymakers through the National Insulation Association of Ireland, meeting Minister Darragh O’Brien TD to discuss retrofit targets, capacity, and long-term sector growth.

To close the year, KORE Group proudly joined over 70 organisations behind the #CopenhagenCommitment, pledging to accelerate Europe’s building renovation and decarbonisation journey and calling for a strong post-2030 framework to support energy security, affordability, and competitiveness.

Outstanding Projects

This year KORE Retrofit continued to advance deep retrofit delivery across a range of nationally significant SEAI schemes. Our One Stop Shop (OSS) projects delivered whole-home energy upgrades that transformed previously inefficient dwellings into high-performance homes, including bringing vacant properties back into use and achieving A-rated BER outcomes under combined OSS and Vacant & Derelict Homes funding programmes.

Alongside this, we expanded delivery through the SEAI Traditional Homes Pilot Scheme, applying heritage sensitive retrofit solutions that respect the character of older buildings while dramatically improving energy efficiency and comfort.

A major highlight was one of our EnerPHit retrofit projects, showcased during World Green Building Week 2025 in collaboration with the Irish Green Building Council (IGBC). The project is upgrading a once F-rated traditional home to the rigorous EnerPHit standard through a fabric-first approach, combining enhanced insulation, airtightness, high-performance glazing, heat pump technology, and mechanical ventilation with heat recovery to significantly reduce energy use, emissions, and long-term operating costs.

Beyond individual homes, 2025 marked a step change in community-scale delivery. We commenced our first Housing Body Community Cluster Project with Killeshandra Housing Association, supporting social housing retrofit at scale. We also deepened our role in regional decarbonisation through participation in the Galway Net Zero Cities Steering Group, with our first projects under this initiative set to commence in the New Year in partnership with the Warm Home Hub.

Looking Ahead

As we reflect on 2025, we do so with immense pride in our team, our partners, and the homeowners and communities who place their trust in KORE Retrofit. From award-winning projects and European collaboration to community-scale retrofit, innovation, education, and wellbeing, this year has laid strong foundations for the future.

From all of us at KORE Retrofit, thank you for your continued support, collaboration, and belief in what’s possible.

We wish you a very Merry Christmas and a healthy, successful New Year, and we look forward to continuing the journey together in 2026.